Adjusting isn't easy Is it even possible?
by JamieWhite18
Summary: Now that Anderson is out of the picture can Lux adjust to a normal life or is she doomed to living life outside the given lines? Just how protective can Cate become? Need to read "What's in a name" before this.
1. Chapter 1

**An: Ok first chapter of my second book. Wish me good luck people.**

Surprisingly the two of them made it home before Cate would be late for work. She was tired but she would be fine to go. When she got off work though the first thing she would do was sleep.

Lux on the other hand had collapsed from exhaustion as soon as they made it home. Lux had been as fast as a car and since they didn't have a car in the lab and they couldn't explain why they looked like they did, they had run home.

Cate had been opposed to it but Lux was determined not to be locked up in a small confined space like a car any time soon. Cate didn't like it but, after being restrained for a while, she understood.

Cate went to work anxious and was distracted throughout the day. She didn't like the idea of Lux being home alone. While Lux had shown that she was more than capable of taking care of herself, Cate had seen just how thoroughly exhausted Lux was and it worried her to see her so weak. If it had been up to Cate she wouldn't have gone to work that day and would instead be either sleeping or watching over Lux while she slept.

Lux had spent the entire day sleeping. She also slept through the many calls Cate tried to make to her during the day. When Cate barged into the house panicked, Lux jumped up prepared for a fight and nearly attacked Cate. Lux realized just in time who it was and backed off before actually harming Cate. She still seemed anxious but now she was more angry than threatened.

"What was the big idea?" Lux demanded, rubbing her face and laying back down on the couch with a yawn.

"I've been trying to call you all day and you didn't answer. I got worried." Cate said, relief marring the reprimanding tone she had been trying to use.

Lux looked at her confused. "You've been calling all day?"

"Yes, didn't you hear it?" Cate went to crouch down near Lux's head.

"No, I've been sleeping all day." Lux replied getting up. "And I'm still tired so if you don't mind I'll be up in my room. Asleep." Cate stood as well.

"Wait!"

"What now?" Lux demanded sounding irritated. "I just want to sleep is that so wrong?"

"No, but you're still bleeding." Cate said pointing to Lux's arm which was still bleeding.

Lux hadn't noticed because she was so drained but the blood from the wound was soaked into the sleeve of her shirt and was now running down her arm. It was a good thing she could lose more blood than a human could and still live because she was sure that any human would have died of blood loss by now.

"Oh….yeah." Lux murmured. "I should probably take care of that."

This is what she hated about getting shot by Anderson. He used special bullets that he designed himself. It would take weeks just for the wound to stop bleeding. On the plus side once it stopped bleeding it would only take a couple of hours to heal. On top of that she couldn't go to a regular doctor because they would ask questions that she couldn't answer.

Lux felt a pressure on her arm and looked down to find Cate's hand trying to pull her back towards the couch. In her other hand Cate had a first aid kit. Lux allowed herself to be pulled back towards the couch and then she sat down. Cate sat next to her and opened the kit.

Lux hissed when the antiseptic touched the wound and let out a soft growl. "That hurts." She complained.

"I'm almost done." Cate replied softly. It was a good thing she had taken a first aid course back in high school though the class hadn't covered bullet wounds.

Lux zoned out once the pain started to subside, Cate however was completely focused. She dabbed the wound trying to clean it out. Every now and then she would look at Lux's face. She looked for any sign of pain and was glad when she saw none. She found herself studying Lux's face. Now that Lux was less guarded she could begin to see bit and pieces of her and Baze in Lux. She also noticed the pure exhaustion that seemed to go deeper than the last couple of days. Cate found sadness in Lux's face as well. She wondered why it was there.

"Lux." Cate said. Her voice was still soft to avoid startling Lux which by now she learned was a big no-no.

Lux snapped out of her thoughts. "Yes?"

"How should I wrap this up?"

"Just put gauze on it and wrap it up. Make it tight enough that there's a bit of pressure."

Cate nodded and did so. When she was done she packed up the kit and before she knew it Lux was at the attic steps. "Hey Cate?" Lux called.

Cate looked up at Lux. She wondered what was wrong for her to call for her. It wasn't like Lux to ask for her and rather than feeling happy she was worried.

Lux seeing that Cate was looking at her, smiled softly, but warmly. "Thanks." With that she went up into her room and crashed.


	2. Chapter 2

Lux was grateful to Cate for giving her a place to stay and for cleaning her wound but something inside Lux told her that Cate only did it because she felt guilty. That Cate felt guilty about the fact that the daughter that she gave up not only didn't get adopted but was also experimented on and got turned into a freak. As much as Lux tried to convince herself that it wasn't true her self-loathing made it impossible for her to convince herself otherwise.

Most would think that she hated herself because she was a freak. No, Lux hated herself because of her actions. There were things in Lux's past that she was deeply ashamed of and the thought of anyone finding out about them made her all the more ashamed. She had lived on the streets most of her life and had resorted to stealing, cheating, even selling herself at times. The only thing she was proud of was the fact that she had never sold herself for sex. It was a small drop of water in the center of burning flames.

Another thing she was proud of was that she had never used her special abilities on anyone that wasn't like her or Victor except Anderson. This fact led to yet another thing that she was ashamed of. The mistakes of her past kept whispering in her ear that whatever Cate did for her was either out of obligation, pity, or guilt.

Lux wanted to get close to Cate. She wanted to share the moments that she had seen on TV with kids and their parents. She had seen and she wanted to experience. She wanted to be able to sit down and watch a stupid movie with Cate and not feel as though there was an awkward pause or that she had to be careful of what she said or that Cate was being careful with what she said. She wanted to go out and be normal and come home upset and not feel stupid for wanting to cuddle with Cate and hear her say that everything would be fine even if she knew that things wouldn't be.

She hated feeling stupid. It was partly the reason why she didn't attend school all that much. She hated feeling that she didn't belong. She hated the fact that she wasn't able to express herself with Cate because she was too afraid of being rejected.

When Cate had wrapped up Lux's injury all Lux could think about was what she wanted and what she had missed out on. She had left immediately because she didn't want to reveal anything to Cate while she was so weak. Then she had felt compelled to thank Cate and it had almost come out then. Everything Lux wanted but felt too stupid, silly, and ashamed to admit.

She wanted her Mom. That was all she ever wanted. No matter where she was, what she was doing, or what was happening to her all she had wanted was her mother to come and find her and essentially save her.

Lux had been spiraling downward for a long time and she had done many things just so someone would step in and stop her but it had never happened. Instead she continued falling until she hit the bottom and now Cate was there and Lux was too dizzy to see whether she was there because she actually cared or if she was only there for a personal agenda. She wasn't sure if she would care if Cate was only doing it to ease some guilt. Cate was her mother. She had to love her right?

...right?


	3. Chapter 3

Cate loved Lux. She honestly did. She may not be the perfect mother and she didn't claim to even be a good mother, in fact she often thought she was the worst mother there ever was. That she was a failure as a mom. That didn't stop her from loving Lux however.

Cate often got the feeling from Lux that Lux didn't want a mother or perhaps just didn't want _her_ as her mother. Sometimes she felt that Lux really only viewed her as an equal, a peer, someone who helped her out on occasion but wasn't truly necessary, sometimes a friend.

Cate wanted to be Lux's mom. Someone Lux came to when she had problems. Someone Lux could count on. Yet thinking back on the days before Cate couldn't say she truly acted like a mother.

Cate had gotten kidnapped and Lux had been the one to come and save her. Not the other way around. Then Lux had kept them both safe and alive, not her. It wasn't Cate and Baze to the rescue it was Lux on her own even after she finally got parents.

Having to explain what had happened the other night to Ryan had been difficult and she had barely been able to come up with a believable story, it had been the thought that making up a story kept Lux safe that had enabled her to make a story that Ryan believed. She had called Baze in between calling Lux and explained what had really happened one of the times where she had been alone; it was much easier than coming up with a lie.

Coming home and finding Lux after a day of panic had been a great relief. Part of her had worried that someone else had come and attacked her but another part of her worried that when she got home Lux wouldn't be there and she would have left of her own violation.

Cate worried that one day Lux would realize that she wasn't a good mother and would leave and never come back. She had just gotten Lux back and now she couldn't bear the thought of Lux being away from her.

She knew it was unfair. She shouldn't want to keep Lux constantly under her watchful eye. Lux was sixteen and clearly more than able to take care of herself but Cate couldn't smother the instinct that seemed to have kicked in as soon as Lux had re-entered her life. Cate and Lux would be at two different sides of World War Three if she followed her instincts to shield Lux from every bad thing in the world.

Had Lux been quite a few years younger it would be a problem but Lux was older, two years away from being a legal adult, and she was used to being independent. Cate wanted to be more than someone who put a roof over Lux's head for two years but she was afraid she was too late.

She was too late to stop some mad man from experimenting on Lux. She was too late to raise Lux during the really difficult years she had spent after the experiments. She was too late, as far as she knew, to even help Lux cope with what she was now.

Cate sighed as she sat on her bed ready to curl up in a ball and cry herself to sleep.

She was too late to come home from work and be able to cuddle with Lux on the couch and watch something on TV or play a game and ask how her day had been.

Or did she still have time to make everything right?


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Ok I guess you could say the last two chapters were kind of fillers. The thing was that I was mostly giving actions like listing what was happening instead of telling a story. I needed to give a chapter to tell how Lux and Cate are feeling and thinking. **

**For those of you who might be thinking that Lux is a little childish it's because she kind of is. She spent her entire life on the run and there are many other things that made her grow up way too fast. Cate is making her feel comfortable and making her relax. She is giving Lux a chance to break down the walls that make Lux an adult instead of a teenager or even a kid. Furthermore Lux doesn't know how to behave with Cate on one hand she is independent and she knows Cate knows that so the filler chapter on Lux covers how she feels about that; on the other hand she didn't have a mom when she was younger so her instincts tell her to start there. Finally how many teens get in over their heads and then go "Mommy fix it?" One of my best friends is 17 and still calls her mom mommy.**

**Well I think that's enough for one chapter, on with the story. I've tortured you all enough with explanations. **

_(Thoughts)_

**(Flashbacks)**

Cate wasn't able to sleep long. As tired as she was she couldn't sleep more than two hours. After that she had run up into Lux's room and, when she saw Lux was still there, let out a sigh of relief. She was sleeping contentedly on her side, curled up almost cat-like; Cate thought it looked painful.

Cate moved the desk chair over in order to sit by Lux. She marveled at how young Lux seemed to look while she slept. She noticed that there was a definite reduce in worry lines in Lux's face that melted the years away. Cate studied her, entranced, wanting more than anything to reach out and touch her. Before she could register what she was doing she was stroking Lux's hair gently.

It seemed for a moment that Cate might have accidentally woken Lux up for she opened her eyes a centimeter but as soon as she had raised her head an inch her eyes closed and she fell back onto her pillow. Her breathing evened out once more and Cate continued to stroke Lux's hair. Suddenly there was a low rumbling noise that made Cate jump. It took a moment for Cate to realize that the sound was coming from Lux. At first it had been startling but now it was an almost soothing sound.

_I should ask Lux about the sound._ Cate thought as she drifted back off to sleep by Lux's side.

Lux woke up with a start; the noise stopping dead in her throat. She wondered what had awoken her. She looked around the room and was surprised to see Cate's head on the edge of her bedside while the rest of her was in the desk chair. The position looked uncomfortable. There was nothing else in the room that would have woken her up.

Suddenly she heard knocking downstairs and now she knew what had woken her up. She slipped out of the bed, careful not to wake Cate up, and softly made her way downstairs. Looking through the door she was surprised to see Baze pacing anxiously. He moved to knock again but Lux threw open the door.

"Baze!" Lux said both surprise and a little irritation in her tone. She was still very tired and she just wanted to sleep. She did understand his worry though so it was hard to be entirely angry.

"Lux," Baze said relief in his voice. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Lux replied sounding confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Cate told me what happened." Baze said, as they traveled farther inside and Lux went to find something to eat.

"Then you knew I was fine." Lux answered.

"I wanted to see for myself." He admitted. Lux nodded in response. She had guessed as much.

Cate rushed downstairs a few seconds later looking anxious but stopped when she saw Lux eating a large sandwich. Lux looked at her in polite confusion while Baze was not so quiet.

"What was that about?" Baze asked Cate in loud wonder.

"I believe she thought I was missing." Lux supplied in a polite providing tone before taking another bite of her sandwich.

"Well you weren't there when I woke up." Cate explained. "I was worried."

"It isn't good to worry so much." Lux stated. "It shortens your life."

"Then stop disappearing on me." Cate countered.

"When did Lux disappear?" Baze demanded.

"I didn't."

"But Cate said."

"I meant that when I look for her or try to reach her she either isn't there or doesn't answer." Cate interrupted.

"I don't answer because I'm sleeping."

"Why are you both sleeping so late?"

Lux sighed. "Didn't Cate explain?"

"Yes, but I would have thought everything you did would be no problem for you." Baze admitted. "Cate made it sound effortless."

"It was by no means effortless." Lux said with a shake of her head. "Victor was always better and faster than me. I had to push my body to its limits just to get to Anderson before Victor got to me. Then I was tired from the trip to begin with and the injury I received from Anderson plus I ran us back home so Cate could be here in time for work so that there weren't any awkward questions. I am exhausted. Then there's the fact that I hadn't eaten during that time period. No food, no fuel. My body runs through the energy provided by the food faster than your bodies do."

"Yeah but you got back yesterday. It's Tuesday morning now." Baze said.

"Tuesday?" Cate said in alarm. She ran to the phone to call her work leaving Lux and Baze alone once more.

"So, when do you think you'll be ready for school again?" Baze asked.

Lux was skeptical. Baze, asking about school? She didn't think that was normal. "Since when are you a school guy?" she asked.

"I'm not. I want to know how many days we got to hang before you need to go back to that torture chamber." Baze replied jokingly.

"School really isn't for me." Lux admitted. "I was never able to keep myself under control for a full day. Sometimes I would show up for the first half of the school day but by the end of the morning I needed to go or I would end up really harming someone and I really didn't need that kind of attention." Baze nodded in understanding.

"I'm sure if you talked to Cate she could find something that would allow you to go to school for only half the day." Baze said after a few moments of silence.

"I don't think I should tell Cate about that." Lux said softly, looking down.

"Don't think you should tell me about what?" Cate asked reentering the room. Lux looked up at her in surprise; she hadn't been keeping tabs on her.

"Nothing." She replied instantly.

"Really? Because the look on your face when you said it didn't look like nothing." Cate replied looking at Lux intently.

"It's really nothing, Cate." Lux said more reassuringly now.

"Well I'm going to go." Baze said feeling awkward. "Call me if you need anything Lux." With that he left out the front door.

Cate was torn between pushing Lux to tell her what she was hiding and just letting her go. It was bothering Lux and yet she didn't want to share it with her. Cate sighed internally. She was nothing but a shelter provider.

Lux could sense something was wrong with Cate. Her sense of smell picked up on the change in chemicals. "It's nothing Cate. Baze and me were just discussing school that's all." She finally said before going back to the refrigerator for more food.

Cate was confused now. "Why were you and Baze talking about school?"

"He wanted to know how long I had until I had to go back. I told him I don't go to school." Lux answered now looking at a restaurant menu.

Cate was about to ask why Baze would care about when she had to go back but was stopped when she heard the second part of what Lux said. "What do you mean you don't go to school?"

"I don't go."

"Since when?"

"Since ever." Lux answered now looking impatient. "Look Cate, I know you mean well but school isn't a good place for me."

"Not a good place for you? Lux, without it you won't get anywhere."

"You don't understand Cate, you can't understand. You aren't me Cate and I'm not you. I'm part animal Cate, the last time I went to school I nearly killed a student. Is that what you want Cate? Do you really want me to be a murderer? That's what's going to happen if I go to school. You can't expect me to live with murder on my conscience."

Cate was thinking about what Lux said but to buy her time to respond she asked "What did you do to Anderson then Lux?"

Lux paused on her way back upstairs. She looked down then looked up with her eyes closed. She opened her eyes, stared at Cate, and then, with a completely steady voice that betrayed nothing she said "I killed him…..but it was a life for a life. He wasn't a person. He doesn't count."

Cate wasn't done with the conversation but apparently Lux was because she went back up to her room and pulled the stairs and string up after her.


	5. Chapter 5

Lux didn't give up on something when she got it in her head that she was right. Unfortunately it seemed that Cate was of the same mold. Cate was the type to relent only when it was proven that she was wrong or that it would seriously damage an important relationship; Lux not attending school didn't fall under those categories. Lux wasn't going to relent either.

She refused to attend school. She refused to even talk about the subject for more than a few seconds. She didn't think school was a good idea. That didn't mean that she didn't like learning new things, in fact she was very adept at learning new things it seemed her brain was made to absorb everything she heard, saw, or read and even touched. She was not made to sit among common children and pretend to be something she wasn't.

Cate wanted to take her to the doctor and see if there was anything that could be done about her _condition_. Lux let out a growl thinking the word. There was nothing wrong with her. Sometimes she wished she was normal but there was nothing wrong with what she was now. It was not a sickness that could be fixed with some pill or shot.

Lux paced around in her room looking like a caged animal and sounding like one from the growls that would sometimes fill the air. She wished she could call someone who would understand her position. Not even Tasha, her closest friend, knew that she wasn't entirely human. She had no one besides Victor who knew and would understand but she didn't think that he could exactly be counted as a friend and even if they were on good terms she wouldn't know how to contact him.

She picked up a picture off the top of her desk that showed her and Tasha when they were about ten and threw it across the room in a fit of rage. She got a rush of satisfaction when she heard it shatter.

Three days. It had been three days since the argument between Cate and Lux had started over attending school. Cate had attempted to sign Lux up at Westmont but even with Lux's file she had been unable to compete the paperwork necessary to enroll Lux. The problem was that there were huge gaps in Lux's file that only Lux could fill and she wasn't willing to do so.

Cate looked towards the attic door when she heard the sound of something breaking. She wanted to go and see what had happened but Lux currently wasn't speaking to her and Cate rarely saw her. If it wasn't for the periodic noises coming from the attic then Cate would have thought that Lux had left. She didn't want to damage the little relationship they had developed but at the same time this wasn't something Cate could just ignore. She was Lux's mother whether Lux wanted her to be or not and it was her responsibility to make sure Lux had the best start in life possible.

When things got quiet once more upstairs she decided that the conversation couldn't be put off any longer. She called up to Lux and asked if they could talk.

Lux froze at the sound of Cate's voice, calling for her, sounding hesitant and unsure. She had a decision to make ignore Cate and hope she went away or answer her. When Cate's voice asked for her again the desperation was clear in her voice and Lux knew that she couldn't continue to ignore Cate as she wished to.

She sighed. "About what Cate?" she called back. She heard Cate's sigh of relief and the sound of skin on skin. Lux thought Cate might be rubbing her face in her hands to prepare herself.

"Could you please come down?" Cate requested. Now it was Lux's turn to hesitate. She had a good idea what Cate wanted to talk about and she didn't wish to discuss it any further on the other hand she hated feeling trapped in her room because she was avoiding a confrontation with Cate. She wasn't meant to be locked up and her need for freedom was becoming more and more of a driving force.

"Alright." She eventually said. She heard Cate take several steps back but Lux wasn't going down just yet first she went to her desk and put a multicolored marble into her pocket.

The marble was slightly larger than most and there was really nothing exceptional about it except its odd size. No she kept it with her because it was the first present she ever received and while it was entirely useless, it brought her comfort to have it with her. It was odd how Victor and she were no longer exactly friends and yet she still kept it with her throughout the years. After all they had promised each other to be friends forever right? One person alone could keep that promise even if the other was no longer interested.

She slowly made her way downstairs. She watched silently was Cate looked her over, trying to be discreet and failing. "You wanted to talk." She reminded Cate softly after a few seconds. She hated it when people stared at her.

"Right" Cate replied snapping back to the present. "We need to talk about the school situation." Lux sighed and shook her head.

"There is nothing left to discuss Cate." Lux stated.

Cate was relieved that Lux didn't return upstairs at the mention of the subject. "Yes, there is."

Lux left the attic stairs, turned her back on Cate and ran her fingers through her hair. "Ok then." She finally said, turning back around to face Cate. "Then say whatever it is that you need to say."

Cate wasn't expecting this reaction from Lux. She had expected her to return upstairs, say she was leaving for Baze's, throw a big fit, pretty much every reaction but this one.

"You need an education Lux. Whether you like it or not it is my responsibility as your mom to make sure that happens." Cate said calmly.

"Your responsibility as my mom?" Lux stated calmly in a cool, almost deadly tone. The look on her face changed from a calm, resigned. She now had her head tilted slightly to the side, her face thoughtful, considering, carrying a curious look. "And when did you become my mother Cate?"

Cate felt as though she had just been slapped in the face. The way Lux said it kind of reminded her of how Anderson spoke but that wasn't what had really hurt her. What had hurt her was the confirmation of what she had suspected Lux thought of her. Though she was hurt by the statement she continued on, mostly because it seemed as though Lux really wanted an answer to her question but before she had the chance to say something Lux was speaking again.

Her tone now light and merely curious, there was no hint of the menace that had been in her voice before. "Really Cate, I want to know." She took a few steps back towards Cate, her yes never leaving Cate's. "When did you become my mother?"

Cate swallowed. She suddenly had a flash of how Lux appeared when she was really upset and her voice shook when she answered. "How about the day I found out I was pregnant with you?"

Lux stopped and considered her answer. "The day you found out you were pregnant with me?" she repeated. She looked away, up at the ceiling her tone still light and curious. She repeated herself. She looked back at Cate. "I don't believe you. Try again." She turned, sat on the couch and folded her hands on her lap looking expectant.

Cate was confused but decided to play along. "How about the day you were born?"

Lux repeated the statement shook her head and said. "I still don't believe you. Try again."

Cate was starting to suspect that this conversation would be the basis on which every other argument between her and Lux stood. If she convinced Lux that she was her mother then she was free to use it in her arguments but if she failed then she would no longer be able to claim to do things for Lux for that reason.

"The day you came back into my life. The day we met at the station."

Lux once again repeated the statement before shaking her head.

"The day you were put back into my custody," Cate tried, desperate now. Lux repeated the procedure. Cate felt she was missing something.

"Look I don't care if you believe me or not." Cate suddenly said and Lux viewed her with interest. "I am your mother. I may have given you up but that doesn't change the fact that I carried you inside me for nine months. It doesn't change how happy I was when they told me that you were fine; even though they were wrong I felt that at the time. You spent fifteen years away from me but it doesn't stop how happy, how….it hurt me to hear what you went through. It doesn't change that I love you."

Lux stood and went over to Cate. She stopped right in front of her till they were face to face. "But you still forgot one day. You love what I was. Tell me Cate, if you think you are my mother. Then tell me what day that happened. Tell me when you stopped loving your daughter and started loving me."

Cate was confused but lux didn't give her a chance to ask what she meant or even answer. It had become night fall outside and Lux was already out the door and out of sight.


	6. Chapter 6

Lux knew quite a few things at that moment. She knew she had let too much slip. She knew she had been too sensitive about the choice of words Cate had chosen. She knew Cate wasn't going to forget that conversation any time soon and she knew that Cate would always be on edge once she figured out what Lux had meant. None of these things were of any comfort to Lux; if anything they only increased her stress.

She wondered around aimlessly, too fast for everyday people to take notice of her, too slow to avoid being ambushed by Victor had he still been after her. She considered going to Baze's but decided against it. Cate would look there for her first and she didn't feel like pretending to be ok when she wasn't sure whether she was or not.

She could break Tasha out for a few hours and they could have some fun but then Tasha knew her better than anyone else and she would know something was up plus she would have to use some of her abilities to get Tasha out and she didn't want Tasha to know about them. No it seemed she would be alone tonight. Well she should probably call Baze to at least let him know she was fine.

Baze paced in his bar. "Why didn't you give her the answer she wanted?" he demanded.

He had just been told by Cate that Lux was gone. She had come over in quite a state demanding to know if Lux was there or if he had seen her. After he had answered in the negative she had explained everything to him. Now he just wanted to know where Lux was and was taking his frustration out on Cate even though he knew Cate wasn't in the wrong for once.

"How should I know what she wanted me to say?" Cate snapped back. "I can't read her mind. She's a constantly changing puzzle."

"Do you have any idea what she meant by asking you when you stopped loving your daughter and started loving her?" Baze asked. Truth was he had a pretty good idea what she had meant but he wanted to know if Cate did because if they found Lux it was something that needed to be addressed.

Cate thought for a few moments. Truth was she had been so preoccupied with getting Lux back that she hadn't paid much attention to what Lux had last said. Suddenly it was crystal clear and she knew what answer lux had been looking for when she had questioned Lux.

"I shouldn't have suggested that she see a doctor." Cate said quietly sitting on one of the bar stools. Baze stopped his pacing and stared at Cate.

"You told her that she needed to see a doctor?" Baze demanded.

"She seemed worried that she would kill someone if she were to get sent to school so I said that we could see a doctor to see if he could do anything about it." Cate defended.

Baze was about to reply when his phone rang. Immediately he picked up thinking it was Lux. It was. "Lux." He said relief in his voice. "Where are you?" Cate stood near him hoping they would get an answer. By the look on Baze's face they hadn't.

"Lux, Cate is here. Whatever she said to upset you, she didn't mean it. Ok? Please just tell me where you are. If you don't want to see Cate then she won't be here when we get back." Baze pleaded. Cate was going to protest the last bit but thought better of it.

"I'm sorry Baze but I need time out. I wasn't meant to be locked in a building all the time." Lux answered.

"Then you can be out on the roof if you want just come home." Baze begged.

Baze heard Lux sigh. "I've got to go Baze. Tell Cate I'll be home later tonight and not to wait up." Then she hung up.

Baze groaned. "She says she'll be home later tonight and to not wait up." He told Cate.

"Does she honestly expect me to do that?" Cate demanded. Baze shrugged.

"I don't know but you should probably go home. You don't know when she'll be back." Baze answered.

It was midnight when she opened the door to Cate's house. She had told Cate not to wait up, that she would be home but in truth she just wanted to be able to sneak in, grab her things and leave without having to explain anything to Cate.

It seemed that Cate didn't listen because she was sitting on the couch waiting for Lux. Lux knew even before she opened the door that Cate hadn't listened but she didn't feel like waiting any longer.

"Hello Cate" she said politely. She still had time. Once Cate believed that she was asleep in bed she too would go to bed and then Lux could leave without Cate knowing.

"The day in the bar." Cate answered. "And that day when you told me about your…enhancements."

Lux was confused for a moment before realizing that Cate was trying to answer her question. "That is your answer?" she replied. "That is the moment you think you became my mother?" Cate nodded, hoping it was the correct response. "That is the day you stopped loving your daughter?"

Here Cate did not nod instead she said "I didn't stop loving you Lux."

"Me or Lux, your daughter?" Lux countered.

Cate was hopeful that Lux had gotten the answer that she wanted because instead of being asked to try again she was being asked to elaborate. At the same time Cate was in pain for Lux, for what Lux was implying. "You believe there is a difference?"

"You seem to think so."

"What gave you that idea?"

Lux looked uncomfortable now. Before she had been asking questions to what she feared but now it was being laid out on the table and fear was something to be ashamed of. Apparently _she_ was something to be ashamed of. She shifted uncomfortably and mumbled something at the floor.

Cate was surprised at the drastic change in Lux. She had gone from controlling the situation calmly, almost as if asking about how the weather had been the last few days but now she looked like a child that had been thoroughly reprimanded in front of a group of people she had been trying to impress. She just about sounded like one too.

"I didn't hear that Lux." Cate inquired softly. She was careful to keep her voice gentle and non-threatening. Lux continued to look at the floor as she mumbled her answer once more. She shuffled her feet in anticipation. "I'm sorry Lux but I don't have your hearing."

"You said that you would bring me to the doctor. You said that maybe he could do something about me. About my _condition_." Lux said sounding much like a toddler with a slight pouty-frown on her face.

Cate didn't understand. "If that's what you want to do." She answered confusion on her face and in her voice.

"No. It's not!" Lux half-yelled, "I never wanted that! You did!" Cate understood now but clearly Lux wasn't finished because she continued. "I'm not something you can fix Cate! I'm not something that wants to be fixed. I'm not your daughter!"

"Yes, you are. Even if you don't want me to be your mother we're still related by blood."

"That's just it." Lux said. All the anger was gone now. Her voice broke. Tears were threatening to fall. "The moment Anderson experimented on me I stopped being your daughter. He played with my DNA. My genetic blueprint. The girl you gave birth to would never be able to do the things that I do. The person you gave birth to died. If you were to do a genetic test before he experimented and do one now there would only be a similarity it wouldn't be exact. For genetic purposes I am essentially nothing more than a relative of the girl you gave birth to. I'm just genetically similar. You aren't my mother. I don't have one."

Cate wanted to argue but she didn't know much about genetics and she was trying to take everything that Lux had said in. Lux turned to go up to her room but Cate couldn't let her leave, not yet.

"So the night you told me and Baze what you were….that's the night I became your mother." Cate said calmly. Lux studied her.

"Is that the night you decided to be my mother?" Lux asked. Once more she was using a light curious tone as if carrying on the conversation from earlier.

"Is that why you asked?" Cate replied. "Is that why you asked when I became your mother?"

"You didn't understand then."

"I didn't understand?" Cate asked amused. "You are the one who thinks that because of some experiment I inadvertently allowed to happen makes you less my daughter." Now it was Lux's turn to be confused. "Lux, nothing will ever change the fact that you are my daughter. Not even the fact that some of your DNA was played with. I suggested a doctor because I thought it would be something you wanted. I am upset that you are what you are because of me but I don't hate or even dislike a single thing about you even the parts that aren't human."

Lux stood there for a minute. "Why?"

"Why?" Cate repeated. "What do you mean why?"

"Why don't you hate what I am? Why are you trying so hard? Is it because you feel guilty or because you have to?"

"No, it's not because I feel guilty or because I have to." Cate replied feeling hurt at the assumption. She didn't know how to explain. "I did it because I wanted to Lux. I want to be there for you Lux but all you seem to be doing lately is pushing me away."

"Really? That's all?" Lux asked intently. "That's why you did everything?"

"Yes. I-" Cate started but was cut off when Lux launched herself at Cate. At first Cate thought Lux had snapped and was attacking her but then she realized that Lux was actually _hugging_ her. It surprised Cate because for as long as Lux had been with her she had never initiated affection. Cate wrapped her arms around Lux holding her close. Once again a strange noise permeated the air. Cate pulled away and the noise quickly stopped. "What was that?"

"Um…." Lux said awkwardly. "I can't exactly help it."

"What was it?" Cate asked again.

"I was um….." she cleared her throat, "purring." Cate stared at her. "Sorry."

"You were purring?" Cate asked in a daze. Lux observed her and nodded.

"I'm sorry I didn't-" Lux started to explain.

"Don't be." Cate said leading Lux towards the couch. They sat down and Lux's head ended up in Cate's lap. "So you purr huh?"

"Yeah." Lux admitted. "Like I said I can't control it. It just happens."

"When does it happen?" Cate asked running her fingers through Lux's hair. After a few times the noise started again and Cate smiled.

"Well," Lux said the noise not stopping even when she spoke. "Purring is often a sign of pleasure or contentment. I also purr when frightened or threatened. My purring is like the equivalent of your smiling. But that's not just it. You know how a baby cries when it wants something?"

"Yes." Cate said with some amusement.

"Well I can put a different note to my purring. I can put a call for nurturing within my purr. I've used it once or twice to get food. Then it also helps heal me faster so sometimes I'll purr when I'm seriously hurt."

"So it means anything really?"

"No, I can get my own food. I don't have that feline limitation and I rarely get hurt enough to need to purr. No, usually when I purr it's because of contentment or pleasure."

"How much of a cat are you?" Cate asked.

"I don't really know." Lux replied thoughtfully. Her purring stopped and she sat up. "I think I have almost all cat behavior."

"I'll have to look up cat behavior then." Cate answered as Lux lay back down. Cate continued to stroke Lux's hair and the purring started again as Lux closed her eyes.

Cate could tell Lux was half asleep and she was just about to shake her and tell her that they needed to go to bed when Lux caught Cate's hand that was stroking her hair and brought it down closer to her face. Cate jumped slightly when Lux began licking her hand, not once stopping her purring. Cate was surprised to find that Lux's tongue was slightly rough, not sandpaper rough like a cat's but not soft like a human's or dog's. She let go of Cate's hand but continued to lick. Cate pulled her hand back and began waking Lux up.

Lux was pretty easy to wake up and went to bed without a second glance back. Cate however stayed up to look up normal cat behavior.


	7. Chapter 7

Cate turned on her laptop and typed in "normal cat behavior". She clicked on the first site she saw and read.

"_Cats rubbing their face on you is a sign of affection and appeasement. Cats have glands on their cheeks and the corners of their mouths. When they rub up against your leg or other body part, they leave some of their scent on you. According to feline etiquette, that's a compliment._

_Eating small amounts of grass can be nutritious for cats. If your cat is drawn to eating greenery, take inventory of your houseplants. Many species are toxic to felines, such as aloe and philodendron, and Easter lilies, which are deadly._

_It may seem lazy, but sleeping or lounging around the whole day is a survival trait if you're a cat. As they evolved in the wild, felines developed a pattern for conserving energy. They hunt for a short period and spend the rest of the day sleeping._

_Kneading: when Tiger jumps on your lap to knead your legs, it means she's feeling relaxed, comfortable and secure. Kneading is learned very early in a cat's life. It's something most kittens do while nursing._

_If your cat makes a habit of licking your fingers, there are several possible reasons. The first is that your cat simply likes the taste of your sweat or hand lotion. In some cases, licking can be a comforting behavior; it may be linked to nursing."_

She moved to another site.

"_Rubbing against an object, licking, and purring (sometimes) show affection. Many cats will exhibit play fighting which is connected to predatory instinct. It is recommended that play fighting be encouraged and to not use edible food during the game because this will make the cat lose interest quickly in the game."_

She shut down her computer and looked at the hand Lux had licked. It was odd for her to think that her daughter, someone who appeared every bit human, often acted like nothing more than a common house pet. It was definitely something she had to get used to. Though she couldn't deny that knowing the reason behind not only Lux's purring but licking pleased her especially since it was something positive.


	8. Chapter 8

Lux woke up in the middle of the night feeling hungry. She sighed. It wasn't the first time she woke up in the middle of the night wanting food, the trick would be finding something to eat at two in the morning, knowing that she only had a certain amount of time to get it before she would be in danger of Cate freaking out since she knew it would be very unlikely that there would be any food in the house.

Mustering up the energy to get out of bed she stretched, almost cat-like, and snuck downstairs, careful to be completely silent. She was never more thankful that she always wore soft soled shoes than at the moment she snuck past Cate's room. Cate would never let her out of her sight again if she woke up to find Lux gone and Lux knew it. It was comforting and annoying but for now all her thoughts were focused on satisfying her empty stomach.

Cate woke up the next morning at five as usual. She started coffee and got ready before heading up to wake up Lux only to find that she wasn't there. She started panicking but calmed herself. Lux had a tendency to act first and think later when it came to her needs. Then again someone could have taken her away or attacked her during the night. She didn't know if she wanted the answer. Suddenly she heard the front door close and footsteps. She rushed back down the steps almost running into Lux.

"Where were you?" Cate demanded.

"I got hungry. I couldn't find anything good here so I went out to get it." Lux said with a hint of pride in her voice.

"What time did you leave?"

"Um….around two I think."

"That was three hours ago!"

Lux looked confused. "Yeah I know but I was hungry and you were sleeping. I thought I would be back before you woke up. Sorry."

"Where did you go for food?"

"Um…..I'm not sure really…my stomach led me there and I didn't really pay attention to what the place was called." Lux explained.

"Your stomach…I'm going shopping after work." Cate decided. "And next time if you're hungry and there isn't any food here then wake me up." Lux was still confused as to why it upset Cate that she had gotten something to eat but nodded in agreement. Cate rubbed her forehead. "Go get dressed."

"Ok." Lux stated, confused by the sudden change in topic.

It had been a month and a half since Cate had assured Lux of the fact that she was not leaving. They were still getting used to everything and Cate was sure what was going to happen later on in the day was not going to put Lux in a very good mood. So with that in mind she was determined to put Lux into the best of moods to warm her up to her idea.

After work Cate wanted to bring Lux to Westmont to have her sign up for school. Lux had made her position on the idea clear but Cate wasn't about to let it go. All Cate hoped for was that Lux didn't end up transforming and ruining her chances of going to school there.

Cate dropped Lux off at Baze's quickly, having learned not to leave a healthy Lux alone in a house for a few hours, and went to work. She sighed when she got into the parking lot. Ryan, while she loved him dearly, was becoming difficult. She supposed it was her fault in a way, ever since Lux came back into her life she hadn't been the most honest person though it really wasn't her fault really. Lux had secrets and while Cate trusted Ryan Lux didn't and it wasn't Cate's secret to tell.

Lux and Ryan had an interesting relationship. While Ryan really liked Lux and tried to get close to Lux personally, Lux was more reserved. She liked Ryan; she really did, but her past made it difficult to trust him. She didn't even trust Cate and Baze with everything.


	9. Chapter 9

Lux and Baze spent the day playing video games. Lux won 9 out of ten times on guitar hero and only lost the tenth one because she got hungry and was distracted or at least that is what she claimed. She was in a generally good mood when Cate arrived to get her. She frowned and rolled her eyes. She wasn't two years old and Baze wasn't a daycare center. As much as she wanted to point that out she thought it best to keep it to herself at least until she was alone with Cate and could phrase it better.

She did notice that Baze had been acting weird all day though he wouldn't say what was up. She also noticed that Cate looked nervous. She couldn't put her finger on what it was but something was off and Lux was pretty sure she wouldn't like what was going on.

"What's going on already?" Lux demanded after a few awkward minutes.

"Nothing." Cate answered too quickly. Lux turned to Baze.

He sighed. "Cate is taking you to sign up for Westmont."

"What?" Lux demanded. She turned to Cate angrily. "I thought we discussed this! I'm not going!"

"No, you discussed it. I've already told you that you have to go." Cate said as calmly and firmly as she could.

Lux's eyes narrowed. "I told you that I wasn't." She practically growled. "Seeing as I'm the one who would be taking the classes I think my decision matters more."

"Lux, I know you aren't going to believe this but I'm with Cate here." Baze said. Lux and Cate looked at him in surprise. "Both Cate and I could get into trouble for not making you go and….you do need an education."

"When are we supposed to go?" Lux asked Cate stiffly.

"We should leave now." Cate replied hopefully.

"Then you'll have to go by yourself because I already told you…I'm not going." Lux stated taking a seat on Baze's couch.


	10. Chapter 10

**(AN: I know I said that since I graduated and it was summer I would be able to update more but then I realized that I had not only lost inspiration for the story I had totally lost where I was going with it. Luckily I don't just give up on my stories and I work through these problems. Thus I am a little inspired and I've spent all my free time since my last update to write this new chapter. I could have just slapped together a chapter about a month ago but I decided that quality and length were better than speed. Did I choose right? You can let me know. Do you like better quality chapters or chapters that are up faster?)**

Cate never realized just how stubborn Lux could be. She couldn't force Lux to get up; she knew Lux was too strong. Cate also never thought that she would wish to be the same as Lux.

Cate had only spent a few months with Lux but she thought she understood at times just how hard it was for Lux to be that different from everyone else. Lux was very good at seeming happy, or that's what it looked like to Cate but there had been a few times in which she had seen lux's weaker moments.

It was almost never the same trigger but it always led to the same sad look. Sometimes it was difficult for Lux to remain indoors. Though it poured outside and Cate insisted that Lux stay inside she could see it was hard because she would sit at the window and stare almost longingly at outside. Cate could see the agitation it caused Lux at those moments and it was painful to see and not be able to do anything about.

Other times Lux seemed to be unsettled and she would spend hours upon hours outside. Cate tried as best as she could to try and ease Lux into a normal lifestyle or even just to calm her but the most she could ever do it seemed was to just accompany Lux on a walk which, in the end, didn't really help anyone. Even so Cate continued to go with her when she could.

Still then there were moments when Lux would snap at her. Though Lux looked apologetic afterwards, it was the brief look of shame that hurt Cate the most. It wasn't just Cate that she lashed out at though, she seemed angry with any human or animal that she encountered but Lux did her best to hide it.

Cate knew this trip to Westmont to sign Lux up for school was most likely the wrong choice, but she had to try. If Lux wanted to be normal then she had to make that effort to appear it, and the other school she was "attending" wasn't going to help her with that. It wasn't dangerous for Lux, she knew that now, but it was dangerous for the other kids. Cate just hoped that in a normal setting Lux might not be so inclined to attack anyone.

As Lux studied her mother, she couldn't help but let her gaze soften. Cate wasn't trying to annoy her or torture her, what she was doing was out of ignorance. Cate didn't understand that snobby people like the ones at Westmont and even the non-snotty-snobby-people irritated her. Lux was tortured everyday by being forced to witness everything that she would never be.

No matter how hard any of them tried she would **never** be normal and it was finally starting to hit her that she was tired of pretending to be.

Baze didn't want to be caught in the middle of this argument. He knew it wasn't going to end well and that it would most likely be painful for all sides. He may be an ex-jock, bartender, with no idea how to be a good father but he saw the way Lux looked at other people when they hung out at arcades and grabbed a bite to eat somewhere. That's why he had been staying home with her more and more rather than taking her places to hang out. He didn't know how many times he could bear to see that look on her face.

He saw the way she looked when he commented about abilities their game characters had; how it would be half amusement and half pained. There was only one other person in the world like her; and he knew it had to be hard. He may be single now but he could go out and find someone similar to him easily, everyone was the same species as him; she was alone.

Lux spoke first. "I know you think you're doing the right thing but you aren't. Not for me."

Cate opened her mouth to try to convince Lux otherwise but closed it when she knew that Lux might be right. She tried again. "I know. But there isn't much I **can** do Lux. If you want to at least look normal then you at least need to go to a **normal** school."

"Who said I wanted to look normal?" Lux asked. "I'm tired of pretending to be normal. I'm tired of pretending. All I've ever done is pretend. You don't understand my position. You don't understand how I feel and you'll never be able to. This isn't going to help me Cate. You'll just make things harder on everyone."

"Lux-" Both the adults started.

Lux shook her head. "Forget it. Let's just go to this stupid thing. Just don't be surprised when they call you saying I never showed up for class or I started a fight or something." Lux grumbled and then she left for Cate's car causing Cate to groan and Baze to sigh.

"See what you started." Baze said accusingly.

"What I started?" Cate exclaimed. "That monster is the one that started it. I'm just trying to fix it."

"Right Cate; because he's the one that wants her to go to school so bad." Baze stated.

"What am I supposed to do?" Cate demanded. "There's no chapter in any parenting book about what to do when your daughter is part animal and has the urge to kill pretty much everyone."

Baze shook his head. "I don't know. That's why I don't take her out as much as I did in the beginning. I don't think it's fair to her. You know how mean teenagers can be, you hated high school and this is basically just throwing her to the sharks."

"I'm going to be late." Cate said after a few moments of silence. She went out to her car surprised when she saw Lux waiting in the passenger seat since she almost expected Lux to just disappear.

They made their way to Westmote in silence; Cate because she was nervous about making it work and Lux because she was afraid to say anything that might start something off again. Cate would learn soon enough that Lux wouldn't be able to stay in that school if she even managed to get in.


End file.
